MA in Folklore and Public Culture - Public Track in Eugene United States | University of Oregon

The University of Oregon boasts one of the nation's most dynamic folklore graduate programs. With an interdisciplinary framework, our master's candidates can pursue personal academic passions within a robust scholarly setting. Scholars engage in investigative work and theoretical examinations across diverse subjects, blending time-honored tradition studies with contemporary perspectives on folklore and communal expression. Current research spans from gendered dynamics in rock music to African drumming traditions in American suburbs, from spiritual nature journeys to digital memorials, and from urban street art to textile crafts and institutional cultural preservation.

The Folklore and Public Culture master's program offers two specialized pathways. The General Folklore Track equips students with core folklore knowledge while permitting elective coursework in chosen specialties. This track mandates foundational courses taught by program faculty across multiple departments including anthropology, arts management, literature, and musicology. Alternatively, the Public Folklore Track develops practical competencies for cultural sector careers, emphasizing fieldwork methods, archival practices, funding proposals, organizational leadership, and public programming. This pathway simultaneously cultivates academic folklore expertise and professional network development within the discipline.